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Revoking of cases: hearing adjourned

Kochi: A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Tuesday adjourned to next week the hearing on a writ petition challenging the Government direction to various public prosecutors to withdraw pending criminal cases.

The Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice K.S. Radhakrishnan and Justice M.N. Krishnan adjourned the case after directing the Government Pleader to get instructions in the case.

When the petition filed by Gokul Prasad, secretary, People's Forum for Natural Justice, Palakkad, came up, the pleader submitted that the Government had not issued any such direction. However, the Home Department had only asked the public prosecutors to submit that they had no objection to cases being withdrawn.

According to the petitioner, of the 774 cases that the Government decided to withdraw, 173 were pending before courts in Kannur district. The cases related to the serious offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Prevention of Damages to Public Properties Act. The Government had issued the direction for withdrawing the cases on political considerations.

Directive to Devaswom

The Bench has directed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) not to grant permission to put up hoardings of commercial advertisements on the premises of temples under the board. The court issued the direction on a writ petition filed by Rajesh Kumar, a devotee of Sree Vallabha Temple, Thiruvalla.